U.S. laxity slowing it down in AI race: Chinese tycoon

Oct 03, 2018, 8:04 AM EDT

(Source: Mike MacKenzie/flickr)

America’s obsession with China’s burgeoning growth in the field of artificial intelligence is counterproductive for its own prominence and progress in advancing the technology, according to Kai-Fu Lee, an esteemed investor and entrepreneur based in Beijing.

Lee, who digs into the Chinese and American AI booms in his new book “AI Superpowers,” opines that competition from Beijing is not as much a threat from the U.S. as its own laxity in investing in and prioritizing fundamental AI research, notes MIT Technology Review.

As opposed to China’s aggressive plans and initiatives to bolster its AI industry, the U.S. is a culprit of sticking to a “hands-off” approach, leaving too much for its tech industry to do alone for the advancement of the technology.

Lee’s remarks echo the sentiments of political leaders in the U.S., who in a recent report, warned that the country should increase spending on AI research and development as China looks all set to surpass Washington in research investment by 2018, writes Government Technology.